“Because asteroid dust is an extreme biohazard. It must never get inside your ship. Asteroid regolith is five times finer than talcum powder, with particles as sharp as broken glass. If breathed in, they can enter your bloodstream directly—resulting in death. If taken into the lungs, they can penetrate deep enough to cause silicosis—stone grinder’s disease—resulting in death. Regolith also sticks to and shorts out circuit boards and jams valves and seals—causing equipment failures that can also lead to death.”
